ASML Holding N.V. (NASDAQ:ASML) Given Consensus Rating of “Moderate Buy” by Brokerages

Shares of ASML Holding N.V. (NASDAQ:ASML) have been given a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” by the thirty-three research firms that are currently covering the company, MarketBeat.com reports. Two research analysts have rated the stock with a sell recommendation, six have assigned a hold recommendation, twenty-one have given a buy recommendation and four have issued a strong buy recommendation on the company. The average 12-month target price among analysts that have covered the stock in the last year is $1,475.00.

Several equities research analysts recently commented on ASML shares. Santander lowered shares of ASML from a “neutral” rating to an “underperform” rating in a research note on Thursday, January 22nd. Barclays raised ASML from an “equal weight” rating to an “overweight” rating in a report on Monday, January 26th. DZ Bank reissued a “neutral” rating on shares of ASML in a research report on Wednesday, October 15th. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft reaffirmed a “buy” rating on shares of ASML in a research report on Thursday, January 29th. Finally, The Goldman Sachs Group reissued a “buy” rating on shares of ASML in a report on Wednesday, January 28th.

ASML Stock Down 4.1%

ASML stock opened at $1,339.13 on Thursday. The stock has a market cap of $526.65 billion, a P/E ratio of 51.86, a PEG ratio of 1.61 and a beta of 1.89. The company has a current ratio of 1.26, a quick ratio of 0.79 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.14. ASML has a twelve month low of $578.51 and a twelve month high of $1,493.47. The company’s 50 day moving average is $1,201.56 and its two-hundred day moving average is $998.33.

ASML Increases Dividend

The firm also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, May 5th. Shareholders of record on Monday, April 27th will be given a dividend of $3.1771 per share. This represents a $12.71 annualized dividend and a yield of 0.9%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Monday, April 27th. This is an increase from ASML’s previous quarterly dividend of $1.88. ASML’s payout ratio is 24.55%.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On ASML

Hedge funds have recently made changes to their positions in the business. Knuff & Co LLC increased its position in ASML by 8.3% in the 4th quarter. Knuff & Co LLC now owns 393 shares of the semiconductor company’s stock valued at $420,000 after acquiring an additional 30 shares during the period. Biltmore Family Office LLC purchased a new position in shares of ASML in the 4th quarter valued at approximately $715,000. Ameritas Advisory Services LLC increased its holdings in shares of ASML by 363.1% in the fourth quarter. Ameritas Advisory Services LLC now owns 815 shares of the semiconductor company’s stock valued at $872,000 after purchasing an additional 639 shares during the period. Liberty Wealth Management LLC purchased a new stake in shares of ASML during the fourth quarter worth approximately $218,000. Finally, Independent Advisor Alliance lifted its holdings in shares of ASML by 16.0% during the fourth quarter. Independent Advisor Alliance now owns 7,764 shares of the semiconductor company’s stock worth $8,307,000 after purchasing an additional 1,072 shares during the period. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 26.07% of the company’s stock.

About ASML

ASML Holding N.V. (NASDAQ: ASML) is a Dutch company that develops, manufactures and services advanced photolithography systems used to produce semiconductor chips. Headquartered in Veldhoven, Netherlands, ASML supplies capital equipment and associated software and services that enable semiconductor manufacturers to pattern the intricate circuits on silicon wafers. The company is widely recognized for its leadership in extreme ultraviolet (EUV) lithography as well as its deep ultraviolet (DUV) platforms used across multiple process nodes.

ASML’s product portfolio includes EUV and DUV lithography machines, light sources, imaging optics and control software, together with spare parts, upgrades and field services.